Cecilia Dapaah Scandal: A-G Advices Police To Investigate Former Minister And Husband For Laundering

• The Attorney-General's department has instructed police to investigate former sanitation minister Cecilia Abena Dapaah and her husband for money laundering
• The money laundering charges were limited to Patience Botwe and Sarah Agyei, the two house helps who are the key suspects in the stolen cash scandal
• In a 9-page advice on the case to the police, the A-G's office said the police must also establish the owners of all the amounts reported stolen by the former minister

The Attorney-General's department has advised police to include former sanitation minister Cecilia Dapaah and her husband for money laundering.

The A-G's department noted that while the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is looking into the acquisition of various properties by the two domestic workers Patience Botwe and Sarah Agyei, which borders on money laundering, it must not end with the two key suspects.

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"You should broaden the investigations on money laundering and other financial crimes to cover the complainants [Cecilia Dapaah and her husband]..." the relevant portions of the advice read.

The A-G's office said this is important primarily because of the huge volumes of cash reported by the minister and her husband to have been stolen from their home.

The former sanitation minister's house helps allegedly stole millions of cash from her home at Abelemkpe between July and October last year.

Patience Botwe, 18, and Sarah Agyei, 30, reportedly stole $1 million, €300,000 and millions of Ghana cedis as well as clothes, and jewellery.

The two accused house helps and three others are facing trial at an Accra circuit court over the theft.

A-G wants the owners of the stolen cash established

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The nine-page advice to the police on the Cecilia Dapaah scandal was authored by Deputy Attorney-General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah.

The former minister has told police that of the $1 million stolen, $800,000 belonged to her late brother and that the $200,000 - which was stored at a separate location in her room - belonged to

The deputy A-G wants the owner of $200,000 and €300,000 which the minister reported stolen properly established - beyond the claim by the ex-minister.

"We have observed that the $200,000 and $800,000 have been lumped together in one count on the charge sheet as belonging to Cecilia Dapaah. It is important for the police to conduct investigations into:

"i. The true ownership of the amounts of US$200,000 and €300,000.

"ii. The source(s) from which the established owner(s) of the amounts of US$200,000 and €300,000 acquired the money."

Tuah-Yeboah explained that it is important for the police to establish the owners of the various amounts of money dishonestly appropriated to avoid any duplicity in the charges.

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Cecilia Dapaah stolen cash scandal: Police reveals Attorney-General is taking over the case

Attorney-General's office to take over prosecution of case

Meanwhile, police have disclosed that the Attorney-General's department will be taking over the Cecilia Dapaah stolen cash case.

Police prosecutor DSP Emmanuel Nyamekye told the court on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, that are rep from the office of the Attorney-General will replace him at the next hearing.

Last week, the Attorney-General's office requested the case docket on the scandal from the police for advice.

2 people arrested over stolen cash

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a related story that two other people have been arrested in connection with the theft of large amounts of money from the former sanitation minister's home.

Five persons have already been picked up in connection with the theft.

Source: YEN.com.gh